Part of a Letter from Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F. R. S. to Dr. Hans Sloane, Reg. Soc. Secr. concerning Some Roman Antiquities Found in Yorkshire; And a Storm of Thunder, Lightning, and Rain, That Happen'd There, August 5, 1708

VI. Part of a Letter from Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F. R. S. to Dr. Hans Sloane, Reg. Soc. Secr. concerning some Roman Antiquities found in Yorkshire; and a Storm of Thunder, Lightning, and Rain, that happen'd there, August 5, 1708. Leeds, September 18, 1708. Honoured Sir, If there had been any legible Inscriptions upon any of the three Roman Monuments sent me some Months ago from our Adelocum, you had then heard from me: One of these has been evidently an Altar, having the Discus or Hearth very plain upon the top; another I desire your Opinion of, for tho' it be made strictly in the form of an Altar in all other respects, it wants the Discus or Lava upon the top; and I have never yet seen any Altar without one, and it seems too small, (being but eighteen Inches high and six broad,) for a Commemorative Monument; the three Rolls, or Wreaths upon the top are so entire, that it is plain there never was any thing else wrought upon it: Now whether any of the Roman Are, or Altaria, were made without a Discus or Hearth, is what I desire to know. The more immediate occasion of this is to acquaint you with some of the effects of a late Storm of Thunder, Lightning, and violent Rain, which happened the 5th day of the last Month. I was then at the Spa at Harrowgate, near Knaresbrough; where having a spacious View upon the open Forrest, I observed the Motion of the the Clouds and Storm, which began in the West, wheel'd about by the North and East to the South: When the Night drew on, the Lightning must of necessity appear more dreadful. The Intermission betwixt the Flashes was very small; the Claps of Thunder were so very loud, and the Lightning sometimes so continued, that Persons were generally apprehensive of some damage, tho' the more surprizing effect of the Storm was by the Rain, as will appear by the Sequel. But first as to the Lightning; It burnt down a Barn near Scarborough: but I shall confine myself to those Parts where I was, which I have attested under the Minister's Hand Mr. Thomas Furnis of Beverly near Pately-Bridge, about six Miles from Ripley; who writes, that Thomas Horner, with others, flying from the violence of the Rain, which seem'd rather to fall in Spouts than Drops, took shelter in a neighbouring Barn; whence, after several frightful Thunder-claps, they were expell'd by the Bolt, as they term'd it, but really the Lightning, which singed the Hair of the said Thomas Horner, blew another Man backward who was climbing up the Hay-Mow, left a Sulphurous stench behind it, and in the conclusion, burnt the Barn and Hay. As to the Inundation it was surprizing; it tore up much of the Road and Street from the Church to the Bridge, and made Pits, in some places several Yards deep, threw down part of a Barn and a Stable, both of them lately built, it push'd into most of the Houses in the Town; the Water, in some, was as high as the Soles of the Windows, and block'd up the Door of one House with Gravel almost to the very top; and if it had continued with that violence half an Hour longer, most of the Town had been in the utmost danger: Several Persons were in great danger, but only one Woman drown'd; she was hurry'd away with the violence of the Stream, and not found till the 4th day after: It removed the Bole of a large Oak (now fold for about about 4 Nobles) several Yards; bore down the most part of 4 Wood Bridges; and has left at the end of the great Stone Bridge, or within about 100 Yards of it, as much Gravel, &c. as is computed at above a thousand Cart Loads: One Neighbour gives Ten Pounds for removing the Stones and Gravel left in a small Tract of Ground. This, Sir, to me seems very remarkable, because effected by the Rain alone; for the Minister adds expressly, "For all this Deluge, the River Nidd kept within its Bounds: Thus the Divine Providence was pleased to temper Mercy with provoked Justice; I wish we may be as sensible of the Cause of this astonishing Calamity, as we are of the Effects."